Super Brat John McEnroe makes game debut in Grand Slam Tennis

The addition of John McEnroe and other exclusives to Grand Slam Tennis …

Much to the disdain of British tennis umpires, John McEnroe will make his video game debut in the upcoming Grand Slam Tennisfor Wii, EA Sports announced on Thursday. McEnroe will be one of several playable "legends," in addition to a staple of current ones, when the game arrives on June 16.

"Having a champion like John McEnroe exclusive to Grand Slam Tennis reflects our commitment to deliver an authentic, entertaining, and deep representation of the sport," said Dave McCarthy, vice president of EA Sports. "McEnroe’s success, charisma and passion for tennis easily make him one of the most recognizable and colorful personalities, not just in tennis, but all sports."

All told, McEnroe's presence, the exclusive Wimbledon rights, and in-game sponsors like Nike suggest EA is serious about giving both 2K's Top Spin and Sega's Virtua Tennis series a run for their money. What's more, EA's game promises to be one of the first to support Wii Motion Plus, even though the peripheral has seemingly been delayed.

Regardless, EA Sports president Peter Moore told the Sporting News yesterday that the controller attachment makes all the difference. "If you think about the normal movement you get with the Wii remote, you know you can sit on your couch and flick your wrist and you get the same reaction," he said. "What the Wii Motion plus allows you to do is do a true authentic sports motion. When you swing the racquet and you bring it back for an overhead lob or smash, then that is reflected."